


Lazy Holiday

by Kalandan



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Family moments, Fluff, Gen, I Blame Tumblr, Mother-Son Relationship, Sharing a Couch, Sharing a Meal, assumed PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-09
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 10:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4301058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalandan/pseuds/Kalandan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carolina Olivares has resigned from the PPDC, Raleigh Becket has been dismissed from the service.  These two share a house in California after knifehead and take it day by day.  They have good and bad days, but they give each other just enough space and time to help heal some of the wounds.<br/>This is a day in the life of Abuela and Becket, her adopted son of sorts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lazy Holiday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jocelyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jocelyn/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Aurora Borealis](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1909806) by [Jocelyn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jocelyn/pseuds/Jocelyn). 



> Carolina Olivares is an original character by Jocelyn, and I borrow her with a huge thanks.  
> I may not mention it in the work but Raleigh goes by 'Becket' at work to avoid confusion on the infrequent days where he wakes up thinking he is Yancy. He'll always respond to Becket.  
> I was shooting for fluff and this came out instead, I hope it fits some of what you're looking for. Its mostly light hearted, with a twinge of serious side. Please leave comments, I greatly appreciate it when people do.

July 2023  
Carolina holds a job at the local hospital not because she needs the money. She could have retired twice, technically she has retired twice, if you count resigning as retirement. No, she likes to see the people, and it helps her feel productive in a society falling to pieces. It's nice that she gets some extra cash, but the days she gets home early are the best. That's when she can glimpse a piece of the past. 

Raleigh used to be a morning person, but that all changed with the kaiju. Specifically knifehead, after that he was never the same, part of that was his choice to divorce his former self. No longer a morning person, he fought for a long time with insomnia. She can't say she wouldn't suffer the same in his place, being connected to your brother while he is killed by a giant alien monster isn't something you can forget easily. 

No longer bubbly, or chirpy, he still has life in him. It's more like embers in a fire, waiting to be stoked back into a flame. For now he is a glowing ember.

When she gets home early she can sneak into the garage, which serves as his his bedroom most days. Unless it's been an exceptionally good week, in which case she’ll find him on the couch in the den, tv still on low volume. She tried to encourage him to use the bed in the room she set aside for him, but to no avail. The one time he did try and sleep there they were both woken up by his screaming with night terrors. After that she helped him move the twin mattress down into the back of the garage. 

Its 3 o’clock, Carolina thinks she might get to see a glimpse of young Raleigh. She puts her bag down, slips her shoes off. Quickly making her way from the front of the house to the back. She carefully opens the door to the adjacent garage. Tip toeing in she is rewarded with the sight of Raleigh sleeping in only sweatpants, one leg hanging over the side, the other off the end of the bed. His left arm hanging off the bed, hand resting on the concrete floor, his right arm slung over his chest. She stops and watches his even breathing for a few moments, she looks at his circuitry burns across his arm and chest. Her attention brought back to his face, he’s relaxed, making him look so much younger than he does when he's awake. Its what she likes to remember he looked like back when his brother was still alive. 

Suddenly he twitches in his sleep, and she knows her time is short. Silently padding back to the door she swings around to the outside of it again before pulling it closed, holding the knob from clicking shut. She holds her breath, slowly releases it before opening the door again, this time with fanfare and letting it swing fully open and connecting with the wall. She’s done this routine with him hundreds of times, but it's familiar and safe.

He is up in a shot. Standing at the end of the bed, in a split second he is turned towards Carolina, feet planted and ready for impact. Then he registers who it is, as Carolina strides across the room to him, he relaxes and rubs the sleep from his eyes.  


“Ah, Abuela, buenas dias. Comment ça va?” Flawlessly switching from spanish to french, Carolina just shakes her head at him. 

“I thought you might join me for a meal before you head over to the gym. Unless you’re too busy to spend time with me.” She makes a little pout with her lips and a sad look with her eyes.

“Abuela, siempre tengo tiempo para ti.” Raleigh replies casually as he grabs a t-shirt to throw on over his head.  
Carolina gives him a quick hug and peck on the cheek, before she scurries back into the house and busies herself in the kitchen. She knows its going to be a tough day for him. Its the patterns and routines he falls into that she can predict and tell the signs of good and bad days. Speaking Spanish unprovoked means he’s not slept enough and his mind is on too many things, not all of them productive. She doesn’t mind so much, as long as he can get through another day she’ll count it as one small blessing.

As she prepares dinner she thinks, it could be worse, it could be one of the days he thinks he’s Yancy. Those break her heart everytime. The first time it happened she stared at him, like he’d lost his mind, and then had to excuse herself before she started crying. That was a rough day for both of them. But that hasn’t happened since he started his job down at the gym, acting as personal trainer and sparring partner for some of the higher level martial artist students. Its a 24 hour gym, he works the late shift most times. Occasionally he will have a training session, but those are usually the beginning of the night, leaving the rest of the night free to workout. 

Carolina is brewing some tea to go with the meal when Raleigh comes in from the garage, dressed in his usual uniform, athletic shorts, sneakers, and oversized long sleeve T shirt bearing the gym’s name: “Fenix’s Martial Arts Gym and Training”. He walks past her to the bathroom on the far side of the kitchen. When he comes back the simple meal of caprese sandwiches and fruit salad is plated, sitting down at the kitchen bar stool Raleigh waits for Carolina to finish pouring the water for tea. 

She hands him a cup, he smells it, smiling “melocotón y té verde?” 

She smiles back, “You are so good at this! I should start getting more of the loose leaf teas to mix up on you. See if you can guess then! ha!” 

Raleigh shakes his head, carefully puts down his cup before taping his nose. “la nariz sabe.”

“Only because you’ve trained it to know like everything ever related to food!” Carolina says in mock anger. But her fake rage gone, she sits next to Raleigh at the kitchen counter. She elbows him for good measure when he is distracted eating. He doesn’t slow down, just glares at her over his food. 

Its quiet for a while, the sounds of chewing and forks on plates filing the kitchen. Once they are both finished, Raleigh picks up his tea again. Holding the mug in both hands he inhales its aroma again before drinking. Carolina watches this, never getting tired of his small little happy moments. She sips her tea, and they sit in comfortable silence.  
Raleigh, never slow when it comes to food things, finishes first. He smiles into the bottom of his mug before he puts his plate and mug in the sink. Carolina continues to watch him move about the kitchen, filling water bottle, washing his dishes, putting together a mid shift snack. He grabs his little gym bag from the back door, packing his food in it with a towel. “Hasta luego, Don’t wait up for me.” 

“Espera. Wait, I’ll walk with you.” Carolina runs past him to the front where she left her shoes. Slipping them on and grabbing her keys she is out the door before Raleigh even has the chance to protest. He blinks at her, surprised by the sudden desire to walk with him.  
She gestures to have him hurry up, standing with the door open, letting all the heat and bugs in. “come on, move it. Slow poke!”

That snaps him into action, he races out the door and jumps past her while she locks the door. Outside Raleigh looks around, the sun is shining, birds are singing. “why the sudden desire to walk me to work? Hmm?” He waggles his eyebrows at the older woman. 

She grabs his arm, then spins him around, “Oh I don’t know. I just felt like getting out! The hospital was chaos today. I wanted a little non chaotic people time. Is that a problem Becket?!” Now its her turn to waggle her eyebrows. 

He laughs at the ridiculous face she makes before responding. “Oh no, just wondered. You don’t usually walk with me, but the company is always appreciated.” He cracks a little smile, a private look Carolina has started to see more of lately. “Want to tell me more about your crazy day?”

They walk the four blocks to the gym, chatting about the bedlam going on at the hospital. Raleigh mostly nodding and agreeing with Abuela on her assessment of the situation. They turn the corner to the road the gym is on, he wonders, “What’s up with the traffic today? There is no one around. Weird.”

Carolina looks up then down the street before adding “You’re right, it is unusual. Did we miss the memo or something?” 

They approach the gym door and Raleigh pulls on it, but it doesn’t move, the door is locked. “Huh, that is really strange.” He tries again before noticing a paper sign taped to the inside of the glass, stating “CLOSED for the FOURTH”. 

“Abuela, its some kind of holiday.” Raleigh seems really befuddled by this. He pulls out a little notebook he keeps in his gym bag. Flips to the first page that hasn’t been crossed off, and sure enough there is a note. “No work on Fourth of July. America’s Independance Day. Remember to pick up watermelon for Abuela.”

“Abuela, we forgot independance day!” They both look completely shocked at each other. Then Carolina breaks first and starts laughing.

“No wonder it was crazy at the hospital, people do stupid things to celebrate holidays. Wow, how did I forget that?!” 

“I don’t know, you getting old lady? Hmm?” But he can’t keep a straight face for long, he starts laughing too. They laugh, and laugh, it feels so good to be this silly.

Carolina gets herself under control, wipes the tears from her eyes before asking “What to head home? We can eat ice cream and watch some crappy movies.” Then an idea dawns on her, “We can even watch one of those old black and white war movies you love. How about it? Hmm?”

Raleigh seems to ponder it for a moment, scratches his chin while looking off into the distance. Then nods vigorously, “Yea. Twist my arm, we can watch one of those romantic comedies you love to watch.” He waves his finger at her before she can protest, “I know you like them even if you try to deny it. So don’t even try to say otherwise. Least I can do since I forgot to pick up the watermelon for you.”

“Don’t worry over that. Heck I forgot a national holiday, no wonder none of the kids or grankids called today, their all busy celebrating.”

“I’m sure when you get back there will be like twelve missed calls. Half of them from Jaime; he loves to call you on his mom’s phone.” They share a chuckle over that. Jaime is one of her grandkids, youngest son of her youngest daughter. At the age of 4 he learned what a cell phone was, as well as how to skype on a computer. His nana is the number one call on either list, thus the frequent calls when unsupervised, not that she minds. He’s a cute kid, still has baby chubby cheeks. 

“So which do you want to watch first? Hmm?” Raleigh brings Abuela back to reality. She shakes her head.

“Why don’t we head back to the house, and I’ll debate it on the way. You get to decide if we binge on cookies and cream or rocky road ice cream.” With that she grabs Raleigh’s proffered arm, as a gentlemanly gesture. 

The walk home is quick, filled with even more laughter than before. Back at the house she sets up the TV for some netflix movies, while Raleigh grabs the ice cream bowls.

“Ms Olivares, Earth to Carolina! HEllloooo? You zoning out on me again?”

Carolina focuses of the hand in front of her face, “OH I’m sorry. Mind seems to wonder sometimes.” Instead of letting him or herself dwell on that fact she diverts attention back to the moment at hand. “Which ice cream are we having?”

“Rocky Road for me, Cookies and cream for you, next round we switch.” He hands her a pillow to put in her lap before handing her a bowl of ice cream and spoon. Once she’s settled in he grabs his own bowl, inquiring “What are we going to watch? Rom com, war movie, action what?” 

“Yes.”

Raleigh raises his eyebrow at that. “Umm excuse me?”

“Yes. Wer’re watching all of the above. But we’ll start with something in the comedy section. I know, we’ll have MAX decide.”

“Who’s max?”

“Not really a who, more a what, but its a feature on netflix that helps the indecisive pick movies.” 

“okay if you say so, I’ll go with it.” He settles down onto the floor in front of the couch, with his ice cream in hand. 

One movie in, they clear away the ice cream. Second movie in they change positions after a bathroom break. Raleigh starts doing push ups part way through the third movie. Fourth Movie they are both on the couch, propped up shoulder to shoulder. 

In a rare display of trust and comfort Raleigh falls asleep propped up on her shoulder, one leg tucked into the edge of the couch, the other on the floor, he slouched down to be level with her. Carolina notices only when snuggles his head farther into her shoulder, making adorable sleepy noises. She too succumbs to sleep before the end of the movie. 

Hours pass as the room falls into darkness, the TV sleep settings automatically turning it off. Carolina wakes up, somehow shifting in their sleep, she is now in the corner of the couch, slouched down into the pillows, feel up on the coffee table. Raleigh too has shifted. He has a throw pillow under his head that is right next to her leg. He is curled up facing into the couch cushions, feet resting on the arm of the couch. The hem of his t-shirt has ridden up in his sleep and his scars are just barely peeking out from under it. 

It reminds Carolina how rare it is to have quiet moment like this. She smiles to herself, grabs the blanket off the back of the couch, and gently throws it over herself, she knows Raleigh doesn’t need it. Without a care for the rest of the world she goes back to sleep, right now catching some more sleep is the best idea ever. She is so happy that she gets to share this time in peace, it's a much better ending to the day than she even imagined could be.


End file.
